Part 9 (1/2)

Elijah wouldn't allow the people of his day to move back and forth from doubt to belief. He made the options clear: Believe the true G.o.d or believe a false idol.

Don't fall into the trap of saying you believe in G.o.d when your heart is filled with doubts and questions. Choose true faith and say, ”Lord, I believe. I may not always understand, but I trust You.”

True and faithful G.o.d, in the past, I've been weak, allowing Satan to make me question You, Your love, and Your plans for my life. Not only do I ask You to forgive me, but I also ask You to teach me Your Word and strengthen me so that Satan can never trick me again. Thank You for hearing my prayer. Amen.

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The Sin of Unbelief [For Abraham, human reason for] hope being gone, hoped in faith that he should become the father of many nations, as he had been promised, So [numberless] shall your descendants be. He did not weaken in faith when he considered the [utter] impotence of his own body, which was as good as dead because he was about a hundred years old, or [when he considered] the barrenness of Sarah's [deadened] womb. No unbelief or distrust made him waver (doubtingly question) concerning the promise of G.o.d, but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to G.o.d, fully satisfied and a.s.sured that G.o.d was able and mighty to keep His word and to do what He had promised.

-ROMANS 4:18-21 Doubt, as I've said, raises questions. It makes us ask, ”Did G.o.d really say . . . ?” ”Does the Word really mean . . . ?” Doubt is often the devil's entry point into our minds. Just such simple, easy questions are enough to give Satan a place to attack.

Unbelief is far worse than doubt. Doubt brings in the question, but unbelief is the result. I've watched Satan launch his attacks on Christians by first posing a question and then causing that question to bring doubt. The triumph of sin in the Garden of Eden began just that way. Satan said to Eve, ”Can it really be that G.o.d has said, You shall not eat from every tree of the garden?” (Genesis 3:1b). That's subtle. Satan doesn't fight with G.o.d or argue with the Bible. He just raises a question and allows our minds to do the rest.

When the question comes in such a simple way, the obvious answer must be, ”Well, He didn't really mean . . .” With that reaction, Satan has established a stronghold in your mind, and it takes little for him to move you from there to a total lack of belief.

I've spoken with people who were led astray in just such a way. They started out as faithful, committed followers of Jesus Christ. But as Satan planted doubt and unbelief in their hearts, they turned their backs on spiritual things. One man said, ”I was simple and naive in those days. I believed anything I heard. I know better now.” Satan robbed him of his faith and, in the process, stole his joy and hope.

I am familiar with this battle. Because of my ministry, some people think I have everything all worked out and never have to battle for my faith. I can tell you that no Christian reaches that place this side of heaven. As soon as we let our guard down, even in the slightest, Satan sneaks up behind us and starts whispering his lies to us.

That may be the reason the story of Abraham is such an encouragement to me. When I have my battles with faith and taking G.o.d totally at His Word, I often go back and read Romans 4. The example of that G.o.dly man is absolutely amazing to me. In the natural, everything appeared to be against G.o.d's promises to Abraham. I'm sure Abraham's friends laughed when he said, ”G.o.d will give me a son.” Satan's scoffers must have been in place every day, but Abraham stood the test. The Bible says, ”He did not weaken in faith . . . but he grew strong and was empowered by faith as he gave praise and glory to G.o.d” (vs. 19-20). I love that statement.

After the Holy Spirit called me into ministry, I was elated-and humbled. I thought, Who am I that G.o.d should call me? I could think of hundreds of reasons why anyone but Joyce Meyer should be used by G.o.d. But I believed in His call, and I had no doubt-not then.

In the months after the call, however, things moved more slowly than I wanted. More times than I can count, I found myself meditating on Abraham and G.o.d's promises to him. If a human being like Abraham could believe and not stagger with unbelief, why couldn't Joyce Meyer? I fought the battles, and with G.o.d's grace, I won. That's how it is each time-a fresh battle and a new and joyous victory.

G.o.d and Father of Abraham, I thank You for Abraham's example. Help me to push aside the devil's advances by totally trusting You and standing on Your promises for my life-even if no one else stands with me. In Jesus' name, I ask. Amen.

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Defeating Unbelief Be well balanced (temperate, sober of mind), be vigilant and cautious at all times; for that enemy of yours, the devil, roams around like a lion roaring [in fierce hunger], seeking someone to seize upon and devour. Withstand him; be firm in faith [against his onset-rooted, established, strong, immovable, and determined], knowing that the same (identical) sufferings are appointed to your brotherhood (the whole body of Christians) throughout the world.

-1 PETER 5:8-9 Sometimes we unintentionally give the wrong impression about spiritual warfare. We know that our enemy is the devil and that we must fight daily to win, but that's not everything. If the Christian life were nothing but battles, it would be discouraging to fight every hour of every day.

I would feel that I could never relax because as soon as I did, Satan would sneak back again. That's not the picture I want to present. The Christian life is one of joy and peace. G.o.d gives us a great sense of fulfillment, and we're at rest because we know we honor Him by the way we live.

Peter wrote to Christians about their enemy-warning them and urging them to be vigilant, which is where we often put the emphasis. Just before he wrote those words, however, he said, ”Casting the whole of your care [all your anxieties, all your worries, all your concerns, once and for all] on Him, for He cares for you affectionately and cares about you watchfully” (v. 7). As we read that verse, it tells us that we must remind ourselves of G.o.d's love for us-G.o.d cares. Because G.o.d cares, we can trust Him to take care of us.

We need that as part of our foundation. It's not that we don't have faith; it's that Satan tries to destroy our faith with lies like: ”If G.o.d really cared about you, would He make you go through this trial?” ”If G.o.d truly loved you, would He treat you this way?”

Those questions that the devil throws at you are full of lies. If he can make you think you're not loved or that G.o.d doesn't have your best interests at heart, he can plant tiny seeds of unbelief. G.o.d wants you to remain strong and true like Abraham and other believers in the Bible.

One of the things I've learned from ministering to thousands of people is that the terrible and negative problems striking our lives are not what cause us to turn away from G.o.d. No, it's our reaction to those situations that makes the difference. Think of Abraham again. When G.o.d promised to give him a son, he was an old man. He could have said, ”How could that possibly be? I'm old and long past being able to father a child.” Instead, he said, ”That's wonderful! I believe.”

When struggles, trials, and hards.h.i.+ps come your way-and they always do-you have a choice. You can heed Peter's words and give G.o.d your cares, worries, and concerns. No matter how dark the night or how evil the situation, you must remind yourself that G.o.d is not only present with you in those situations, but He also loves you and will provide for you.

Your job is to be vigilant during those difficult times. You can rejoice in G.o.d's love and blessings when all is going well-and that's what G.o.d wants you to do. But in the dark moments, you need to remind yourself that the devil stalks you and wants to defeat you.

One more thing. Sometimes you may wonder why you have so many trials and problems. Is it possible that the devil may have singled you out because of G.o.d's great plan for your life? The more faithful you are, the more you have to resist him and his lies of unbelief.

Dear heavenly Father, the enemy often tries to fill me with unbelief and make me deny Your powerful love for me. But like Abraham, I stand firm on Your promises. Thank You for the comfort I find in Your a.s.surance that You're always with me. Amen.

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Keep Walking on the Water!

And in the fourth watch [between 3:00-6:00 a.m.] of the night, Jesus came to them, walking on the sea. And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified and said, It is a ghost! And they screamed out with fright. But instantly He spoke to them, saying, Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid! And Peter answered Him, Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.

-MATTHEW 14:25-28 Let's focus for a moment on this part of a well-known New Testament story. The disciples were in the middle of the Sea of Galilee at midnight when they looked up and saw Jesus walking on the water. That is amazing, but as the story continues, Matthew wrote of the boisterous winds, yet Jesus kept walking on top of the waves.

The disciples were afraid-and that makes sense. Who would expect to see anyone walking on top of the water, even under the best of conditions?

Then Jesus cried out and told them, ”Take courage! I AM! Stop being afraid!” (v. 27). This is the powerful moment in the story. What will happen now? Do they move over and give Jesus a place to sit in their boat? Should they get out and join Him on the waves? Do they huddle in fear, reminding themselves that human beings can't walk on top of water?

Peter was the only one who responded in true faith. And let's make no mistake here. For Peter to say, ”Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water” (v. 28) was a tremendous act of faith. You'll notice that he was the only one who spoke that way.

That was a powerful moment of faith. It was a defining moment that pointed out Peter's great faith and belief in Jesus, the Anointed One of G.o.d. He was so convinced that Jesus truly was the Son of G.o.d that he was ready to get out of the boat and walk on top of the water with Him.

How many of you would get out of the boat? I emphasize this because it would be easy enough to say, ”Lord, I see You walking on the water, and I believe I could walk on the water alongside You.” But would you? Do you have the kind of faith that would enable you to step out of the boat? Of the twelve disciples, Peter was the only one who took that step of faith.

I'm not citing this example of faith to discourage you or to make you feel that your faith is somehow lacking. I'm simply pointing out the great triumph of a man who dared to believe! Peter believed so strongly that he took a step of faith over the side of the boat and started walking toward Jesus.

Most of us know the rest of the story. Some might even smirk, saying, ”Big deal! He got out of the boat, started walking on the water, got scared, and began to sink. And he also received a rebuke from Jesus: 'O you of little faith, why did you doubt?'” (v. 31). But think about it-Jesus didn't say those words to the other disciples. He directed the words ”you of little faith” to Peter. The implication is the others had no faith at that moment.

Think of these words not just as words of rebuke, but also as words of encouragement to Peter, the one who had enough faith to step out of the boat and begin walking on the water. ”But when he perceived and felt the strong wind, he was frightened, and as he began to sink, he cried out, Lord, save me [from death]!” (v. 30).

What if you saw this as Jesus' great encouragement, not just to Peter, but also to you? What if you looked at this event as Jesus saying to you, ”You started so well. You believed Me, and got out of the boat. You did it! You walked on water just as I did. But then you allowed doubt to enter, and when that happened, you began to sink.”

This powerful story is a wonderful reminder that Jesus is always with you, and He will suspend natural laws to reach out to you and care for you.

Lord Jesus, please forgive my lack of faith. Increase my faith in Your Word, and help me to trust You enough to follow Your leading. When the circ.u.mstances around me threaten to pull me into deep waters of doubt, help me to focus on You. I ask these things in Your holy name. Amen.

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